We have finally been able to get out and do a little more fishing over the past few days with the warming temperatures here in the Tomahawk area. Between two guys, we iced around two dozen nice crappies yesterday evening on Lake Mohawksin with the biggest being a beautiful 14-inch fish. Fish were caught suspended in the river channel anywhere from 12 to 15 feet down in 15 to 20 feet of water. Some fish were caught on tip downs tipped with rosy reds, but the biggest fish were caught using electronics and jigging plastics. The bite Saturday through Monday seemed best earlier in the day before shutting down before dark. Matching the hatch proved to work best for the plastics. Earlier in the day a green plastic worked best and a glow bloodworm produced fish later in the day. Also heard of some improved bluegill fishing from guys targeting those. The warmer weather has improved travel conditions, and while we continue to travel by foot, I have heard of vehicles driving out on Lake Nokomis. Snowmobiles and ATVs also appear to be getting around pretty good. There is pooling water on the ice now, and with highs only expected to reach the upper 30s this entire week, I suspect there will be plenty of time yet this spring to get out and take advantage of some of the best panfish fishing of the season. We're still hitting the auger's handle bars on the ice when punching holes! No April 1 joke: remember to pick up your 2015 fishing license before your next outing as the old ones expire today. Starting to see some robins return and flocks of geese fly overhead here in the Tomahawk area. Even got a few tulips pushing up next to the house where the snow has melted back. There was even some open water this morning by the Highway 86 Bridge over the Wisconsin River. Watching a storm Thursday into Friday that could impact travel conditions heading into this weekend. Forecasters are saying it is still too early to tell how much snow we will get. Hopefully just a hick up as spring arrives here in the Northwoods. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

The forecast shows we will be making a run at 60 degrees today here in the Tomahawk area. Waterfowl and birds of all kinds have been returning over the past couple weeks adding to the experience of being out on the ice. The Wisconsin River has really started to open up and I believe we are well ahead of where things were at this time last spring, when there was still ice on many lakes for the May opener. Expect to see more boats on the road as the Herb Mitchell boat landing off Hwy. 107 will provide the first open water fishing in the Tomahawk area. The channel has opened up out from the Kwahamot boat landing, but I suspect it will be a little while longer and more melting will need to occur before boat access is possible. Spent some time out on Lake Mohawksin this past Sunday and found active fish had moved out of the channel where we had been previously catching them and up onto the channel edge and a nearby mud flat in about seven feet of water. Did have to hole hop a lot to find the more active bluegills, crappies and perch. The biggest crappie and bluegills once again came off the plastic bloodworms with a green color working best during the day and a glow jig working best heading into the evening. The plastics even out produced the light line, small jig tipped with a waxy finesse style that I was trying at the same time with another rod. Tip downs set with rosy reds in about 10 feet of water also produced some nice crappies. Did notice the top layer of slush was beginning to melt and made walking a bit more difficult. Also make sure if taking children out to watch for old holes as many were covered with a thin layer of ice that could easily be kicked open. Still hoping truck travel might become an option as the top layers of slush continue to melt away. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice and soon to be water time.

Just a quick heads up for anyone planning to head out on the ice on Tomahawk area lakes this weekend. Make sure to pack the hip boots. We found ankle deep slush on Mohawksin yesterday. A buddy who had been fishing a smaller Lincoln County lake the day prior said he ran into much deeper slush to the point it almost required hip boots. Something to keep in mind. Also found some really active perch using plastics, however, unfortunately the ones we were catching were mostly six inches long. Still great to be out this time of year. Took a drive by Kings Dam and it is open and guys are fishing for walleyes. The Wisconsin River channel continues to open up quickly and the Kwahamot boat landing actually looks like it might be usable pretty soon. Hope everyone has an enjoyable and safe weekend. Good luck and enjoy your Northwoods ice and water time.

What a difference a day makes. The Tomahawk area and Northwoods is once again under a fresh layer of snow and lows last night dipped to near zero. A gradual warm up is forecasted heading into this weekend, although another storm expected tomorrow could bring additional accumulations to the area. Up until the recent cold snap, anglers were getting out on the Wisconsin River using the Herb Mitchell boat landing as well as the Kwahamot boat landing near the North Fourth Street Bridge. SARA Park still needs a bit more melting to occur before it opens up to boat access. While others I had talked with were reporting catching some nice open water perch and walleyes, we found high, fast moving water on the Wisconsin River below Kings Dam and areas south. Some anglers I spoke with were catching nice open water perch and some nice walleyes. We had to scrap ice fishing plans Sunday on a small lake in Lincoln County as ice at the boat landing was no good. I think the lack of shoreline frost, resulting from the heavy snow this winter, might be causing access issues as a number of landings we checked this past weekend were already melting and unsafe to use. With the 2014 opener just weeks away and still plenty of ice on area lakes, I suspect some will once again be using tip ups instead of boats to start the year. At least the flowages in Tomahawk should be ice free, and I will continue to provide updates on conditions leading up to the May 3 opener. Remember spring will be here for good soon. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods ice and water time.

Picked up about a foot of new snow at my house west of Tomahawk over the past 24 hours. Kinda wishing I pulled the boat out of storage when I had a chance because it is going to be a little while before this melts and things dry up. Suppose to be in the 50s by this weekend, so the good news is it won't stick around too long. Think this will more than likely put an end to my ice fishing season for the year. We are nearing record snowfall totals here in the Tomahawk area with this most recent dumping, so I guess it is only fitting that the season ends this way. Time to get geared up for all the river fishing to come. Make sure to die the Easter Eggs or the kids will have no chance of finding them this year. Good luck to everyone heading out. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods ice and water time.

Ice on the opener, not a big deal in the Tomahawk area as at least the Wisconsin River system will be open for anglers to get out on the water come next weekend. The SARA Park boat landing opened up this week providing another launch point on Mohawksin and the river. A lot of water moving on the stretches south of Pride Dam. Hearing Nokomis is starting to open some, but others like the Spirit and natural lakes remain pretty well covered in ice. Also hearing some anglers still venturing out on the ice to the north, although conditions remain sloppy and knee boots are needed to stay dry. The Tomahawk area picked up close to an inch of rain yesterday and more is in the forecast starting on Sunday. I suspect access will be limited by ice come the opener, but the great thing about Tomahawk is there still will be plenty of opportunity to wet a line come the opener. Will be putting the boat in for the first time tomorrow to try for some walleye and perch. Will be using a simple approach dragging fatheads and chunks of crawler with jigs or a hook and sinker. Will report back on the bite and what ice conditions look like as we get closer to next weekend. Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Hard to believe the opener is almost here. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

Took a ride around this Wednesday morning to check ice conditions in the Tomahawk area waters as just three days remain until the start of the 2014 opener. Found Half Moon Lake completely ice free and Clear and Crystal Lake still had some ice. The Spirit, Mohawksin, Alice and the Wisconsin River system are for the most part ice free. Did see ice on Nokomis and have heard reports of ice still on the Willow. Things can change quick if we get some wind to go along with the rain coming down this morning, but as far as melting goes, the forecasted highs in the 40s and low 50s leading up to Saturday won't change much. Plan accordingly, as I suspect there will be plenty of ice to deal with for this opener (I wouldn't recommend trying to ice fish as the ice does not look safe). Remember to check bag limits on local waters as many have been reduced for the time being to one fish until spearing totals are known. At least the scenery will be nice and it is always great being up in the Northwoods this time of year. Expect a lot of water moving down the Wisconsin River system as we have picked up at least two inches of rain in the past week on top of the continued snow melt runoff. We spent some time on Mohawksin this past Saturday and caught a few small walleyes. Heard the bite was going much better below Pride Dam. Pack some warm clothes and the rain jacket as the forecast is calling for highs in the 50s and a chance of rain. At least it won't be the snow that we saw yesterday. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have a fun opener and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

Good luck to everyone heading out for the opener tomorrow. Might be some rain to contend with here in the Tomahawk area but at least it won't be snowing and highs should be around 50 degrees. Heard this morning Nokomis is really opening up while ice will likely restrict access on the Willow. Other flowages have been ice free for sometime now, including Lake Alice and Mohawksin, the Jersey and the Spirit. In response to statewide reports the Northwoods is still iced over, the Tomahawk Regional Chamber of Commerce issued this press release yesterday:TOMAHAWK, WI, May 1, 2014 - The Tomahawk Chamber of Commerce and area businesses prepare for the opening of fishing. The Tomahawk Area flowages and most lakes are ice free for the 2014 fishing opener this Saturday. It has been reported that some lakes in Northern WI are not open for fishing this weekend but here in Tomahawk we expect large crowds because we do have open water. "As you make your plans for opening weekend of fishing, I just want to let everyone know that contrary to other reports NOT ALL the lakes in the Northwoods of Wisconsin are still frozen over," said Tamra Anderson, Tomahawk Regional Chamber of Commerce's Executive Director." Here in Tomahawk we have plenty of open water for you to enjoy this upcoming weekend!"As always we want to remind everyone to be safe make sure that you check out this year's regulations as many angling rules have changed since last season.For more information, please contact Tamra Anderson with the Tomahawk Area Chamber of Commerce at 715- 453-5334 or tamra@gototomahawk.comGood luck to everyone heading out tomorrow. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

Wishing I had been out fishing for the opener but our yellow lab got into a fight with a porcupine Saturday morning and needed emergency surgery and 40 staples put into his leg and stomach. Vet said he should be fine, but Chuck from Chuck's Bait Shop informed me his old dog developed a hatred for the porcupine that resulted in three additional run-ins with the critters. I'm hoping Achilles learned his lesson. Did talk with some friends who managed to get out over the opener and success seemed dependent on the body of water. The Wisconsin River system that has been ice free for the past several weeks was producing some nice perch and plenty of male walleyes and a few keepers. I heard the bite was a bit tougher on Nokomis where the ice was just letting out as of last weekend. Places like below Tomahawk area dams should remain hot as the spawn continues. Another good bite that should be going on now, if not soon, is the crappie pre-spawn. Look for these fish in "bottle neck" areas with deeper weeds or structure just outside where they will be spawning when the lilacs bloom. Slip bobbers and small crappie minnows work pretty good to target these fish. The good news is the recent warm temps, rain and wind has opened up most bodies of water other than some of the bigger and deeper lakes to the north. Like the many others who passed on last weekend because of the lingering ice and bad weather, I'm looking forward to the re-opener taking place this Saturday. Water flow remains pretty high on the Wisconsin River and flowages are mostly full. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

Early summer conditions have arrived here in the Tomahawk area just in time for Memorial Day weekend and the start of the 2014 musky season. Hearing reports of a lot of post-spawn walleye being caught up in the shallow wood and on areas with structure where spawning recently took place. Anglers also picking up perch in these areas with minnows and worm chunks. Expect some good action as the crappie and gills begin moving up shallow in the coming days. Stable conditions and warming water temps should make for some pretty good fishing through the weekend. Wednesday is the start of a new moon phase. We will be targeting muskies shallow using smaller plugs to start the year. Hopefully the muskies will be in post spawn as the water temps continue to warm. The last I heard the walleye bag limits were supposed to be restored by Memorial Day weekend. The DNR website still shows a one fish limit on the Willow, Nokomis, Alice, Mohawksin, the Spirit and other local bodies of water. I cannot count the number of disappointed anglers I have talked with this spring regarding this one-fish limit. It essentially makes walleye fishing catch and release until the normal bag limits are restored. More than once we went out and threw back legal walleyes this spring so we didn't have to quit fishing after a few minutes. The one fish limit means one and done, as it is illegal to continue fishing (considered culling) for walleyes once you have kept a fish. We typically release most the fish we keep anyway, but I sure the heck couldn't see anyone going through the effort to launch a boat or even buy bait to keep one fish. Until this issue is resolved anglers in the Northwoods will continue to be held hostage over a battle out of our control. I will post if I hear more about a change in the bag limit, but as of now, I would follow what the DNR has posted at the boat landings. Remember to thank a vet this Memorial Day as their sacrifices are the reason for our freedoms. Hope everyone gets the opportunity to get out and enjoy the beautiful Northwoods this weekend. Also remember the Main Street Memories Car Show takes place in downtown Tomahawk this Sunday with plenty of family events planned for Saturday as well. The trilliums are coming into full bloom making woodland floors a canvas of beauty. Have a great Memorial Day weekend and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

The DNR just posted the new daily walleye bag limits that will go into effect starting tomorrow, May 23. Some of the local waters that saw numbers reduced to a one fish bag limit earlier this spring have seen bag limits restored to a more respectable numbers just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Starting tomorrow, anglers will be able to keep three fish on the Willow, Alice, Jersey, Mohawksin, Nokomis and the Spirit to name a few local bodies of water that had numbers reduced. According to the DNR press release, the Chippewa bands harvested 27,433 walleye this year, which was down from the average since 2004 of 29,907 fish. Of course as many in the Tomahawk area are aware, fish harvested by tribal members by hook and line below area dams are not included in these totals. As was once again the case this year due to the late arrival of spring and ice out on lakes across the Northwoods, a number of area dams received considerable pressure in the weeks leading up to the spearing season, which many of these lakes also had quotas set for that more than likely exceeded harvest quotas. I personally don't think it would be a stretch to say the average spearing total would have been met if the number of walleyes harvested by hook and line from below Tomahawk area dams during the spawn were added to the totals. Kathy Stepp, DNR secretary, states in the press release the department will, "continue to focus on long-term efforts that will yield less fluctuation and more consistency with bag limits from the start while still effectively managing and protecting the resource for all to enjoy." I would suggest addressing the hook and line harvest below Tomahawk area dams as a good place to start.

The conditions were just right late Monday to start the 2014 musky season off with a fish in the boat as a front moved through the Tomahawk area right before dark. Unfortunately I had been out earlier in the day when the storm was forecasted to move in, so I missed out on what I heard was some pretty fantastic action later on. We managed to put a few pike in the boat, but the really exciting part of the day came as we saw a bear swim across the Spirit Flowage just a short distance from where we were and a guy fishing from his boat. We backed off and gave the bear plenty of room to do his thing. Always exciting to experience. On another outing earlier in the weekend we found panfish up in the shallows. Some nice gills and crappies were caught using slip bobbers and small hooks and jigs tipped with pieces of crawlers. We were fishing the shoreline in a bay and caught the fish in between a foot and three feet of water. The trolling motor and a good pair of glasses worked well for this. We put them all back to catch another day. With the beautiful weather over the Memorial Day weekend came the return of the state's unofficial bird, the blood-thirsty mosquito. Don't forget to pack the bug spray when heading out. A new moon phase is set to begin tomorrow, which with the stable weather forecasted over the next several days, should once again produce some pretty good conditions to put that first musky of the season in the boat. Heard of some active smaller males with some spawning still take place on area waters. The warming water will help bring an end to the last of the spawn when the big females will start to get active. Hopefully everyone had a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful Northwoods over this past Memorial Day weekend. Good luck to everyone heading out this week. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

The panfish bite was so exceptional this past weekend here in the Tomahawk area we actually put down the musky rods and went after a few for the frying pan Sunday. Walleyes as well as a mixed bag of perch, big gills and crappies can now be found in the newly emerging weeds in as little as 2 to 3 feet of water on area flowages. We spent about an hour targeting shallow cabbage weeds Sunday on Mohawksin and ended up with a nice meal of jumbo perch, some slab crappies as well as some big gills that were caught up along the shoreline. We were using a simple slip bobber and chunk of crawler to catch these fish. Crappie minnows are also working to catch the crappies. We ended up putting a lot back for stock and keeping a dozen for a meal. We didn't even have to move around much to catch these fish. Talk about a simple and fun way to spend an afternoon. Just make sure to only take what you need and put the rest back for seed. I suspect these fish will remain shallow until the big mayfly hatch occurs here in the Tomahawk area sometime in the next couple weeks. As far as musky action, I did miss one on a figure eight Sunday afternoon that appeared to be a mid 30-inch male. We were actually catching so many pike throwing small spinners that I pulled the lure away from the fish thinking it was another pike. These fish were all caught in the same shallow areas where the panfish were caught. The next full moon is next Thursday, so expect some decent activity next week. It is a great time to be out on the water here in the Tomahawk area. Make sure to pack the sun screen and bug spray and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

Continuing to target the most active bites based on the weather conditions experienced while out on the water over this past week. Spent Friday on Lake Mohawksin targeting a number of different species beginning with muskies to start the day. A couple hours spent casting the newly emerging cabbage produced several pike with the biggest being around 28 inches. After a couple hours we went back to targeting perch and crappies found in the shallow weeds only a week earlier. The first cast produced a beautiful 12-inch crappie that was caught right in among the cabbage in about three feet of water using a slip bobber and small hook tipped with a chunk of crawler. No more crappies were caught in that area and what had been jumbo perch were replaced with smaller fish. I did notice the weeds had emerged quite a bit from the week prior making it much harder to fish. We then headed to a different part of the lake where shoreline vegetation provided for some great bluegill action. The rest of the day was spent hauling in impressive 9 to 10-inch gills that were up spawning along shore. As soon as the bobber would hit the water it was fish on. I quickly lost track of how many we caught, but we limited the number we kept so there would be plenty more the next time we returned. We also put back many of the big females that were full of spawn. Fish were caught in one to three feet of water off the same slip bobber combination used earlier in the day. Talked with a buddy down south who said the gills were already off beds and heading out to deeper water, so I suspect it won't be long and the same will be taking place up here. Great opportunity to get the kids in on some action and enjoying the sport of fishing. Will be targeting musky again this week as a full moon is on Thursday that should turn the fish on. Although, if the action isn't hot I won't hesitate to pull the boat up on the shallow water to enjoy the exceptional panfish bite going on right now. Talk about a fun time to be out on the water. Hope everyone has a great week and weekend. Good luck and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

Got out earlier this week and found some pretty decent gills and perch still up in the shallows on Lake Mohawksin. You could really notice the weeds and lily pads coming up, which required a bit more accuracy with the cast to get to the fish. Still using just a simple slip bobber and hook and sinker tipped with a piece of crawler set about a foot deep. We tried a number of different areas of shoreline and found aggressive fish. Not quite the jumbo perch like the ones we had found the week prior, but several still in that 9 to 10 inch range. The gills remained on the big side with fish nearing 10 inches being caught. We kept a few for the frying pan and put the rest back for others to enjoy. I suspect the gill activity will be winding down in the shallows in the very near future, so get out with the kids for some fun before it is too late. We also got into a number of large and smallmouth bass using this presentation as they are also currently up in the shallows. A big cold front pushed through the Tomahawk area yesterday and last night. Nice weather is forecasted for today with chance of showers for this weekend. Couple that with the full moon and few days separated from this recently passed front, and some nice muskies might be going up on the board over at Chuck's. Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

Been hearing of some really excellent musky catch and releases as well as some big fish starting to show up here in the Tomahawk area over recent weeks. Jeff Frick of Slither Tackles in Tomahawk used a Slither Tackle Musky Rattler Dual-Armed Buzzbait to boat a beautiful 52 inch fish this past Sunday. It was one of two he and his wife, Tina, caught fishing that evening here in the Tomahawk area. Talked to another angler who boated four fish in one evening, and have heard of multiple fish days from other anglers who have been out. A buddy and I were able to spend a couple hours out on the Jersey this past Sunday and he boated a beautiful 35 inch pike on a topwater. The drop in barometric pressure resulting every time one of these storm systems pushes through is making for some exceptional musky fishing. Get out ahead or shortly after one and the result could be an exceptional bite. Just make sure to get off the lake if you do hear thunder because no fish is worth the risk of getting injured or worse. Still haven't seen the big mayfly hatch here in the Tomahawk area, which seems to be a bit delayed. Those wanting to target panfish might want to consider the bigger local flowages that were still iced up on the opener as those waters might still have fish up in the shallows. While I haven't been out in a few weeks to check it out, I would suspect panfish spawning action on Mohawksin and other "warmer" flowages to have wrapped up by now. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Make sure to watch in next Tuesday's issue of the Tomahawk Leader for an exciting lake series we are starting featuring popular local bodies of water. The series will include pertinent information from the lake district or association, fishing reports, info on aquatic invasive species, history, maps and photos of big fish caught on the respective body of water. We are starting July 1 with one of the area's most prized gems, Lake Alice.

Just wanted to make everyone aware Lake Mohawksin will be hosting three fishing tourneys this weekend and next.The first gets underway this Saturday, July 12, as the Musky Nutz host the 10th annual Tony Mayer Musky Nutz Memorial on Mohawksin from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two additional tournaments are planned for the following Saturday, July 19, including the annual Tomahawk Fishing Unlimited Kid’s Summer Fishing Contest as well as another being planned to help raise funds for a young Tomahawk woman injured in a recent crash on County Highway A.This weekend’s musky fishing contest was created to pay tribute to a die-hard angler who lost his life during a freak boating accident while fishing on Lake Mohawksin a decade ago, Tony Mayer. His brother, John Mayer, and a bunch of other Musky Nutz began hosting the musky tournament to raise money for a good cause in his honor. This year all proceeds from the contest will go to benefit the Tomahawk Search and Rescue Dive Team. Those wanting to take part in the tournament can do so right up until the morning of the contest by registering at the SARA Park boat landing starting at 6:30 a.m. Cost is $25 per person and $10 for those not planning to musky fish. The contest concludes at 5 p.m. with a meal and raffles. The winner of the contest gets to choose what lake the event will be held on next year as well as which non-profit organization proceeds will go to benefit.For more on taking part, contact Musky Nutz’s Wally Thomzik at 715-453-5740 or visit the Musky Hunter Magazine website at muskyhunter.com and look for a thread created for the tournament in the General Discussion Forum.Saturday, July 19 tourneys: Next Saturday will feature a pair of fishing tournaments set to take place on Mohawksin including the long-running Tomahawk Fishing Unlimited (TFU) Kid’s Summer Fishing Contest being held at Veterans Memorial Park July 19.Aimed at getting youths hooked on the sport of fishing, the contest features two age groups (10 and under and 11-15) and includes a number of great prizes to be awarded for the biggest catches in several fish categories. Participants will receive free bait, free grab bags containing fishing gear as well as coupons for a meal at nearby Dairy Queen.The contest runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with registration taking place at Veterans Memorial Park from 8 a.m. to noon. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to take part in this free contest and help get the next generation hooked on the sport of fishing. Children ages 15 and under do not need fishing licenses to fish in Wisconsin. Crash Victim fundraiser:Those taking part in the TFU Kid’s Summer Fishing Contest can also participate in a fishing tournament being held at SARA Park on Lake Mohawksin the same day to help raise some money for an important cause.Katie Hegman, 19, of Tomahawk had to be hospitalized after being involved in a head-on crash on County Road A June 23. She has since been released from the hospital following treatment for serious injuries but faces medical bills and missed time at work, which the fishing fundraiser will help support.Anglers of all ages are invited to take part in the tournament that will feature special trophies for the biggest fish caught in a number of fish categories. The contest will also feature some great prizes to be raffled-off that have been donated by a number of local businesses as well as many fishing lure manufacturers.All proceeds from the tournament will go to help Hegman. The tournament runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with early registration beginning at the SARA Park boat landing at 7:30 a.m. Cost to take part in the contest is $10.For more information or to register in advance, contact event organizers Jeff and Tina Frick at slithermuskytackle@gmail.com or call them at 715-453-6860.

Brrrrr… Temps pretty cold here in the Tomahawk area to start out the work week as highs not expected to get much above 60 degrees today. Feels a lot more like September than mid July. Temps are forecasted to warm heading into this weekend, which should improve the bite following this big cool down. Spent a couple hours casting for muskies on Mohawksin Sunday afternoon. Had one nice fish follow off a weed edge but it was gone before I could even figure 8. Tried some jerk baits but the only action came on a topwater. Been seeing some signs of mayfly hatches but not the big hex hatch that normally would have occurred in the area already this time of year. Hearing of some walleyes being caught up in the shallows still, and I wouldn't expect things to change much this week as water temps will once again be rebounding after this big cool down. Congrats to Wally Thomzik of Tomahawk for winning this year's Tony Mayer Memorial Musky Nutz tourney held Saturday on Mohawksin with a 39-inch fish. The event raised a record amount of money for the Tomahawk Fire Department Dive Team in memory of Tony. Don't forget about the two tourneys taking place on Mohawksin this coming Saturday. Look at the above post for details on those contests and how to take part. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and to those taking part in this Saturday's fishing contests. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time before it turns back to ice!

Dodged some raindrops here in the Tomahawk area Saturday afternoon to put a musky in the boat and have a shot at another. Caught a 38-incher using a Nimmer Swimmer Prop Dog that I was casting on the inside edge of a weed bed. I was trying the spot after reading about inside cuts in the latest issue of Musky Hunter and it produced. It was an exciting catch because it hit going into a figure 8 where I slowed the lure and the fish hit. The fish was quickly released as it had signs it might have come into contact with the one I was looking for and was pretty beat up. Talked with another guy who targeted panfish on an area flow age and said the bite was pretty good in that 10-foot range. Hoping to get out a bit more heading into fall as home and gardening projects wrap up. We actually had frost here in the Tomahawk area one day last week, so I don't suspect it will be long and we will be talking fall fishing conditions. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

We've been catching some pretty nice walleyes in the Tomahawk area as of late as the fish have been putting on the fall feedbags. Multiple 20+ inch fish were caught and released last evening using larger minnows worked in the current below a Tomahawk area dam. The presentation was a simple hook and sinker. The current and the bigger minnow seemed to make the difference for the big fish as the smaller minnows produced smaller walleyes. We caught walleyes in areas with less current but they lacked the size and numbers that were caught in areas with moving water. Still hearing of some really nice catches of panfish on area flowages by anglers targeting them. Muskie suckers are available at the bait shops here in town. Last time out a week ago had a nice fish nipping at a topwater but wasn't able to connect on the figure 8. Temperatures in the 70s all week hopefully will trigger a nice shallow musky bite by this coming weekend. Some amazing fall colors make for the perfect backdrop right now in Tomahawk. I should be targeting muskies but hard to pass up on some of the best walleye action experienced in quite sometime. Gotta love fall. Just a reminder the Central Wisconsin River Series will be hosting a tourney on Lake Mohawksin this weekend. Good luck and tight lines to all anglers taking part. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods fall fishing time.

This past weekend provided some amazing weather to get out and enjoy the fall colors as well as an exceptional walleye bite that continues in the Tomahawk area. Local waters were surprisingly busy with the big Central Wisconsin River Bass Series taking place on Mohawksin and other area flowages filled with anglers, duck hunters and pontooners out taking advantage of the nice weather. Felt more like the Fourth of July out on the water than the last weekend in September. We ended up targeting walleye with hook and sinker or jig head tipped with a big minnow and caught plenty of fish Saturday and Sunday. The key again for us was fishing water with current where walleyes were stacked up and actively feeding. Also spoke with another angler who said they did really well on panfish over the weekend. Did try for musky for a bit but ended up enjoying the strong walleye bite instead. The coming weeks should provide plenty of time to chase muskies as the water once again begins to cool. What an absolutely splendid weekend it was. Hopefully everyone got a chance to get out and enjoy. While it might be a bit cooler, there still is plenty of time to get out and enjoy this fall. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

Time to get the ice fishing gear ready. If the current extended forecast holds, it looks like we could be ice fishing here in the Tomahawk area as early as mid November.Will once again be reporting on area ice conditions as the season gets closer. Time to find the creepers, touch up the ice chisel and grease up the tip ups. Won't be long now and the early ice season will be underway.

Here we go ice anglers. Dropping temperatures following 14 inches of snowfall over the past two days here in the Tomahawk area should lead to a very early start to the ice fishing season. Small lakes have already begun to freeze up and nighttime lows in the single digits means it won't be long before every body of water in the area is firmly locked up. I'm still holding out for getting out for the first time this weekend, but we will have to see how windy it is and how quickly the ice forms. As always, safety will be of upmost importance as ice depths can very (especially this year as some areas formed ice early and became snow covered and will likely have less ice than other areas that will freeze solid in the coming days). I use an ice chisel to check ice depths while traveling on the ice and make sure to fish with a friend and have ice picks, rope and a flotation device along as extra safety precautions. I also fish as shallow as possible during early ice targeting shoreline structure like wood, weeds and rocky shorelines in protected bays. I will be updating ice conditions over the coming days to let anglers know what to expect on area lakes this coming weekend. It certainly looks the part of winter here in the Northwoods with all the recent snow. Hopefully the ice will follow suit and winter activities will be in full swing before long.

Spoke with an angler who was out this afternoon on a protected bay on Mohawksin who said he had about 3 inches of good ice. Conditions will only continue to improve heading into this weekend with lows forecasted to get down around zero tonight. Continue to use caution as ice conditions can vary greatly this time of year. Fish with a partner and think safety first. We will be targeting walleyes on a rocky shoreline tomorrow and maybe even trying for some panfsih in the stump fields come Sunday (if the ice allows). Good luck and please be safe if heading out. Hard to believe we will already be hitting the ice and it is only mid November! Kinda fitting, I guess, since we already had a snowstorm that dumped 14 inches of snow.

Those not taking to the woods for the start of the gun deer season this past weekend found plenty of fishable ice here in the Tomahawk area. In upwards of seven inches of ice or more was measured in areas without current. Things were melting heading into the Monday when we picked up a half foot of snow, so it will be interesting to find out tomorrow what the conditions are like now. Hopefully everything froze up nicely and the ice continues to build. The warming weather provided us with a hot bite over the weekend for walleyes and panfish. We targeted a bay on a Tomahawk area flowage and found plenty of action using tip ups and jigging for panfish. Some gills up to 10” were found scattered in the deepest water up to 10 feet in the muddy bay, while walleyes were caught at varying depths throughout the day. Many of the walleyes were undersized but limits of legals were caught using golden shiners on tip ups. The gills were caught jigging waxes and using electronics in the deeper water. Make sure to take precautions if heading out in the coming days as the additional water on top of the ice and new snow could make conditions unsafe. Life vests and fishing with a friend are good ideas when it comes to fishing early ice. Also make sure to carry a pair of ice picks and having along a length of rope attached to a flotation device is a good idea this time of year just to be safe. Check ice with a spud and remember ice depths can very greatly on area flow ages depending on proximity to the channel. Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. Good luck to everyone heading out to the woods and onto the ice over the coming days. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods woods and hard water time.